Illuminated display and a method of forming same

ABSTRACT

An illuminated display for use as an advertising medium is provided in the invention comprising a first layer of light transmissible material, a second layer of woven fabric, a third layer of light transmissible material bonded to the first layer of light transmissible material to sandwich the second layer of woven fabric, the second layer of woven fabric having printed or painted designs formed thereon for providing a display means ( 1 ) and a light source ( 2 ) for illuminating said printed or painted designs.

The present invention relates to an illuminated display and method offorming same.

Displays and signs are usual forms of advertising media which can makeuse of the light transmitting properties of certain types of materialsto enhance their visual appeal. Translucent plastics or stained glassare examples of such materials. When these materials are used incombination with light emanating sources, whether by applying direct ordiffused backlighting, the effects thereof are usually visually pleasingor eye-catching. However, the inherent disadvantage of illuminateddisplays or signs which contain intricate designs and which are made ofcoloured translucent plastics or colour stained glass is that they areexpensive to manufacture.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved illuminateddisplay.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an illuminated display comprising a first layer of lighttransmissible material, a second layer of woven fabric having a designformed thereon, a third layer of light transmissible material bonded tothe first layer, and a light source for illuminating the design. It ispreferred that at least one of the first and third layers of lighttransmissible materials comprise transparent plastics, or translucentplastics. It is also preferred that the second layer of woven fabriccomprises a silk fabric having a design formed thereon, and the lightsource provides an oblique backlight, or a plurality of light sourcesarranged around the periphery of the illuminated display to provideedge-light.

In accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a method of forming a display element comprising the steps offorming a first layer of light transmissible plastics, bonding a secondlayer of woven fabric having a design formed thereon to the first layer,and forming a third layer of light transmissible plastics and bondingthe third layer to the first layer to sandwich the second layer. It ispreferred that the first layer of light transmissible plastics is formedby injection moulding and the second layer of woven fabric is bonded tothe first layer of transmissible plastics during said injectionmoulding. It is also preferred that the third layer of lighttransmissible plastics is formed by injection moulding and the first andthird layers of light transmissible plastics are bonded during saidinjection moulding.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example,with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the first preferred embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts the position of the source of illumination with referenceto display panel 1 of the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 4A, 4B and 4C depict the various views of the second embodiment ofthe invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the third embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view of a partially complete display panel 1of the embodiment of FIG. 5, made according to the first phase of aninjection moulding process.

FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a complete display panel 1 of theembodiment of FIG. 5, made according to the second phase of an injectionmoulding process.

A first preferred embodiment of the illuminated display is illustratedin FIG. 1 and comprises a display panel 1, a light source 2, a batterybox 3 to power the light source 2, and a stand 4. In FIG. 1, theilluminated display is formed from the arrangement whereby the displaypanel 1 is mounted on the stand 4 at an inclined angle with the lightsource 2 positioned behind and below display panel 1 to provide anoblique backlight effect. The display panel 1 is made of two layers oftransparent plastics and a layer of printed woven fabric found betweensaid two layers of plastics, light emanating from the light source 2being partially refracted, transmitted and reflected by the displaypanel 1. Consequently the desired patterns printed on the surface of thewoven fabric will appear lustrous and radiant when viewed from thefront. The method of forming the display panel 1 will be describedhereinafter with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

As shown in FIG. 2, the light source 2 preferably comprises a standardlight bulb 7 fitted with an elongated reflector 8, and is powered bybatteries arranged in a standard electrical connection which are encasedin battery boxes 3 affixed to the outer sides of stand 4, via the wires5. Stand 4, which is preferably made of wood or plastics, consists of apair of L-shaped panels connected together via hinges and an angle 6 toform a support arrangement which provides a raised inclined mountingposition for the display panel 1. From the view offered by FIG. 2, itcan also be seen that the reflector 8 of the light source 2 spans, inthe direction along its elongated width, the maximum allowable width ofthe base of the stand 4, to provide an even distribution of reflectedlight from the light bulb 7 so that the total projected light from thelight source 2 can cover the entire surface area of the display panel 1,which is at an inclined angle as mentioned hereinabove. As such, allparts of the display panel 1 can be illuminated.

Referring to FIG. 3, the display panel 1 has a first layer 9 made ofpolyacrylic, a second layer 10 comprising a silk fabric with a desiredprinted or painted design, and a third layer 11 made of the samepolyacrylic as found in the first layer 9. As can be seen from FIG. 3,which also depicts the position of the light source 2 with respect tothe display panel 1 from a side view, light rays from the light source 2are projected upwards and enter the display panel 1 at various angles ofincidence, all greater than zero. By this arrangement, the amount ofdirect transmitted light from the light source 2 would then be minimaland a person would not experience high levels of glare and reducedviewing contrast when looking at the display panel 1 from the front. Theadvantage of such an arrangement is that it allows the interplay ofrefracted, transmitted and reflected light as light passes through thefirst layer 9 made of polyacrylic, the second layer 10 comprising a silkfabric, and the third layer 11 made of the same polyacrylic as found inthe first layer 9 of the display panel 1 so as to create a combinationof effects to enhance the visual appeal of the printed or painted designon the second layer 10 made of silk. This is possible because the secondlayer 10 contains many small openings within its interwoven structure ofsilk threads and these openings behave as light apertures which allowlight rays originating from the light source 2, which had been refractedat the interface between air and the first layer 9 made of polyacrylic,to be transmitted to the third layer 11 made of polyacrylic, andsubsequently to the viewer. In addition to the transmitted light throughthe apertures in the second layer 10, light is also reflected off theshiny or reflective surfaces of the interwoven silk threads surroundingthe same apertures, and into the viewing direction. As a consequence ofthis interplay of refracted, transmitted and reflected light, theprinted or painted design of the second layer 10 of the display panel 1will then appear to be glistening and radiant.

A second embodiment of the illuminated display is illustrated in FIGS.4A, 4B and 4C. Essentially, the mode of operation of the secondembodiment of the illuminated display is similar to that of the firstembodiment described hereinabove. The main difference between the twoembodiments lies in the position and type of light source used toilluminate the display panel 1. As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4C, the secondembodiment uses a plurality of light emitting diodes 12 fitted ormoulded into, and lined near the edge and around the periphery of thefirst layer 9 of the display panel 1 to provide illumination. In effect,the display panel 1 is edge-lit and this arrangement of lining the lightemitting diodes 12 around the periphery of the display panel 1 allows aneven distribution of light to be provided to all parts of the displaypanel 1. As a consequence a plurality of wires are required to connectthe battery to the plurality of light emitting diodes 12. It is thusnecessary, as shown in FIG. 4C, that the stand 14, the battery box 13and the display panel 1 are conjoined to form a single fixture so as toallow the plurality of wires connecting the battery and the lightemitting diodes 12 to run to the display panel 1 without affecting theaesthetics of the illuminated display.

A third embodiment of the illuminated display, wherein the illuminateddisplay is used as a coaster, is illustrated in FIG. 5. In thisarrangement, a similar concept to that of the second embodiment of theilluminated display whereby a plurality of light emitting diodes 12lined around the edge and around the periphery of display panel 1 toprovide edge lighting is used. A smaller battery unit is required topower the light source in such an implementation so as to allow theilluminated display to be placed in a horizontal position to function ascoaster.

To form display panel 1, a method is described hereunder with the aid ofFIGS. 6 and 7 to describe a two phase injection moulding process for thethird embodiment of the illuminated display. In this example, however,the light emitting diodes 12 and the corresponding supply wires areomitted from the details of the formation process so that an injectionmoulding process common to all three embodiments can be described.Referring to FIG. 6, a woven fabric layer 15 preferably comprising asilk fabric which is printed with the desired designs is placed in afirst injection mould (not shown) having a shape to produce the panel17. Once the fabric layer 15 is placed in the mould, molten plastics,preferably molten polyacrylic, is then injected to fill the mould. Asthe molten plastics flow, it originates from an injection point 18 andmoves outwards towards the edges of the panel 17, filling up the entirecavity of the mould. Since molten polyacrylic is adhesive, it thereforebonds on contact with the fabric layer 15 as it fills the cavity. Uponcooling, the panel 17 is produced with the fabric layer 15 firmly bondedto the polyacrylic layer 16.

To complete the formation of the display panel 1, the panel 17 issubsequently placed in a second injection mould (also not shown) havinga shape to produce the display panel 1 of the third embodiment.Referring to FIG. 7, molten plastics of the same homogeneity as themolten plastics used in the first injection moulding process describedhereinabove, is injected to fill the mould. As the molten plasticsflows, it envelopes the panel 17 and homogenises with the polyacryliclayer 16, giving the desired shape as shown in the cross sectional viewoffered by FIG. 7. When cooled, the fabric layer 15 would then appear tobe suspended in a moulded homogenous transparent plastics frame 19(which now incorporates polyacrylic layer 16) made of polyacrylic. Thefinished display panel 1 can then be mounted onto a stand andilluminated by way of backlighting provided by a filament bulb, in thecase of the first embodiment; or be illuminated by light emitting diodesfitted, or moulded by way of a further known secondary injectionmoulding process, into the homogenous plastics in the case of the secondand third embodiment.

The embodiments of the invention are not to be construed as limitative.For example, the third embodiment of the illuminated display, whilebeing used as a coaster, may have a normally-open contact switchconnected to the electrical supply wiring and affixed onto the surfacethat comes into contact with the bottom of a glass or cup. Upon thesetting down of the glass or cup onto the coaster, the contact switchwill close and complete the electrical connection to supply the lightemitting diodes 12 with power, and hence illuminates said coaster. Inanother example, the wires as described in the second and thirdembodiments of the invention hereinabove may be replaced with currentconducting tracks printed onto the surfaces of the display panel 1 byknown techniques. As a further example, the first layer 9 and the thirdlayer 11 of the display panel 1 may be made of any light transmissiblematerial which includes transparent, translucent, frosted, or tintedplastics, or glass. Furthermore, the design may also be formed on thesecond layer 10 of the display panel 1 by way of stitching or weaving,or by way of bonding a supplementary material, such as a compresseddesiccated flower, by using known methods, to said second layer 10.Still further, the display panel 1 may be made of two layers of lighttransmissible materials and a layer of woven fabric having a designformed thereon found between said two layers of transmissible materialsby using a transparent adhesive to bond all the layers together.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of forming a display element using amulti-stage injection moulding process, comprising the steps of: placinga layer of woven fabric having a design formed thereon into a firstmould having a shape for producing a first panel; injecting plasticsmaterial into the first mould thereby bonding a first layer of lighttransmissible plastics material to the layer of woven fabric in a firstinjection moulding process to create the first panel; placing the firstpanel into a second mould having a shape for producing a second panelhaving a size different than that of the first panel; and injectingplastics material into the second mould thereby bonding a second layerof light transmissible plastics material to the first layer and thelayer of woven fabric in a second injection moulding process to sandwichthe layer of woven fabric to create the second panel.